PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and Pakistan Red Crescent Society Merged Areas (PRCS-MA) on Monday agreed to work together to tackle the effects of climate change in merged areas.
Addressing the launching ceremony of Phase-II of Climate Advocacy and Coordination for Resilient Action, in Jamrud, district Khyber, Ishtiaq Urmar, KP Minister for Forests, Environment and Wildlife, said that more than 60 people had been arrested across the province for setting fire to forests. He said the provincial government would fully support the PRCS in planting trees and tackling climate change effects.
He said that Pakistan is the seventh-largest country in the world due to deforestation which is being affected by climate change.
On the occasion, Dr Noorul Haq Qadri, former federal minister for religious affairs, said that Quran and Hadith instruct us to save water, plant or trees, and maintain a clean environment. He said ex-premier Imran Khan had worked on climate change, which the rest of the world also appreciated because he had made it a top priority in the previous government.
Chairman PRCS for Merged Districts Asif Khan Mehsud, said that PRCS is planning to plant 100 million indigenous trees in all tribal districts. He said that planting of fruit trees would also improve the livelihood of the marginalised community while the provincial government could play an important role in this regard. If these trees we plant as soon as possible, the local population can stand on its own two feet in the next five years.
